Back in the Saddle

Good to be back home. It was a long week, and I'm sure most of you know what it's like to deal with a family funeral. Lots of visits, lots of grieving, lots of emotional burnout.

I'm still sifting through all the news I missed. I have so much stacked up on the DVR to watch, I'm cross-eyed looking at the list (3 weeks of Lost??)

In writing news, I developed good ideas on a new pilot I'm working on. Hope to start outlining the sucker soon. Still rewriting my draft pilot. All other rewrites locked and loaded. Once the pilot is done, I'm going out...and yes, I realize my timing now sucks. Well, I was planning on going through the manager/agent gauntlet 2 weeks ago, but the fates conspired to ixnay that.

So, bad timing or no, I'm going.

Thanks to all who emailed or left well wishes here. It really helped.

Hiatus

Sorry for the hiatus. My grandfather died on Sunday so I'm home for the funeral.

I'll be back next Monday to regular updating and such. Sorry for the unusual quiet on the blog.

Fox schedule updates

Last year's minor comedy success 'The Loop' returns to the schedule on June 10th.

Hell's Kitchen, one of my favorite non-scripted shows, is back on June 25.

The new Mark Burnett produced show, 'On the Lot' will premiere on May 16 and then settle into a Monday-Tuesday pattern. This one may be of particular interest to writers/directors as it is the show produced by Spielberg to find a great unknown directing talent.

ABC to Introduce October Road to Thursday Lineup

Starting March 15 in place of 'Men in Trees' at 10 PM Thursday...

ABC to Introduce October Road to Thursday Lineup

Michael and son permanently off the island?

According to this story, Harold Perrineau will be co-starring in a new CBS pilot, 'Demons'. The article notes:

There has been talk about Perrineau possibly returning to the Emmy-winning adventure series, but sources said the sides could not reach an agreement.

If this show gets picked up, I guess we'll never know if Michael and Walt made it back to land.

Perrineau to face 'Demons' for CBS

Random Observations about last night's tv

No new BSG. BOOOO!!!

The Puppy Bowl is fascinating. I almost got sucked in so long I neglected the real game. Although, by the end of the third quarter, I wasn't missing much.

Rex Grossman sucks.

Robert Goulet rules! Although, I think it is fair to say that the ad companies are in danger. If an ad that cost 12 bucks is at least as entertaining as a few of them that cost 2 million, why the heck do we need ad companies?? (I mean, some of those ads last night were just LAME).

Criminal Minds sucks worse than I imagined. I've only watched two episodes, so I didn't think I was a fair judge, but the episode last night was dreadful. You'd have to have the IQ of a small woodland creature not to figure out what was going on with the 'unsub' (Criminal Minds speak *roll eyes*) by the end of the teaser, yet it took the whip-smart team 3 ACTS to figure it out. This wasn't dramatic tension, it was poor plotting. CBS really blew it with airing this after the Super Bowl. Fellow TV geeks are saying that CBS should have opted for a couple of sitcoms, notably 'How I Met Your Mother' and premiere 'Rules of Engagement' instead. I think they have a point. Who wants to watch dark, ugly serial killer drama after America's favorite televison event?? (Considering that the fast nationals show that CM drew 26 million viewers, 12 million less than 'Grey's Anatomy' did last year, I'd say not that many.)

MTR loses a member

I've had it.

Today was the day tickets for MTR members were to go on sale for the Paley Festival. So, I waited dutifully on the Ticketmaster site for a full 10 minutes before sales would open (at 9 AM). I struggled to order. The letter I got in the mail said to use my member ID, but every time I entered it, I got an error. So, at 9:15 I decided to try calling Ticketmaster. At 9:18 I got a human, and explained my problem.

She told me all the presale tickets were sold out. My jaw dropped.

"It's 18 minutes past 9. How is that possible?"

"I'm sorry," she said. "You can try calling back on the 4th."

No, no I won't. Goodbye Paley Festival. Goodbye MTR. I will no longer WASTE (and yes, it is a waste) 50 bucks a year to become a member for a benefit I DON'T GET TO USE!!

Oh and the festival hotline has been busy all morning. I'm guessing I'm not alone in this.

Human Sacrifice

In the life of every script, key decisions must be confronted and made. Is this the right beat for an act out? Should I use flashbacks? What do I do about this gaping plot hole?

Sometimes the hardest decisions involve homicide -- specifically, excising a character. I am currently struggling with this decision in regard to my pilot.

My pilot spec has no less than 20 (!) speaking characters. Keeping them straight is a chore for the reader, and I am sympathetic to this. In fact, I dislike having so many dang people cluttering up my world. The problem is, I NEED most of these characters.

First, there's the lead. He can't go away, no way, no how. Then there's his 'entourage' or 'team' -- those three are necessary too. The boss stays, as does the best friend. So does the heavy. As for the second tier characters, most of those serve a purpose too. I've already taken 3 characters and rolled them into one. Still, the world is too populated. Someone must go.

I've chosen Coulter for this honor.

Dan Coulter is a man's man. He's also an arrogant SOB. He was in the story to be a thorn in the side of my lead and provide some meaty conflict. Trouble is, he isn't really that necessary anymore. When I created him, he was unique, serving a singular purpose. Now I have two or three other characters who duplicate that role. So, Coulter is headed to the dustbin.

Here's the problem, it's not that simple. He is woven into some scenes that feed important information. He was a structure point too -- serving as a justification for our lead to make a critical decision. If he is gone, the decision doesn't make sense. So just cutting him out of the story leads to a number of rewrite issues. Now, I'm not afraid of rewriting, far from it. At first glance, however, the task is daunting. Once I figure out how to patch over the gaps left by this character, I'll be good to go. Right now I'm just trying to find enough dirt for filler.

In the end, I'll have 19 (!?!) speaking roles in the pilot. It may not seem like a significant reduction, but I think it will still help. After all, Lost in any given week seems to have 25, and Lord knows how many there are for 24 (actually, I counted last night -- I counted 21 name characters at least...got a little fuzzy in the detention center, but that's still a hefty number.)

On to the rewrite.

Spec episode or spec pilot?

There's been some debate this week about the viability of specs, thanks to a blog post from Jane Espenson unofficially declaring the spec episode of an existing show dead.

Fortunately for us, BooM started asking questions. Her answers are a bit of a relief.

Let's hope the spec episode isn't completely dead. Either way, start writing some pilots people.

Paley Festival Events Announced

(panel attendees TBA)

3/1 American Idol
3/2 The Office
3/3 An Evening with George Lucas
3/5 Brothers & Sisters
3/6 The Closer
3/7 Dexter
3/8 Nip/Tuck
3/9 Prison Break
3/10 Heroes
3/12 Ugly Betty
3/13 Jericho
3/15 The Simpsons

More information at Museum of Television and Radio

Updated Fox Spring Schedule

(From Fox press release, as found at Futon Critic:

FOX SPRING PREMIERES RECAP (All Times ET/PT)

Sunday, March 4:
THE WAR AT HOME Time Period Premiere (7:30-8:00 PM)
THE WINNER Series Premiere (8:30-9:00 PM)
THE WINNER Series Premiere (9:30-10:00 PM)

Wednesday, March 7:
THE WEDDING BELLS Preview (9:00-10:00 PM)

Friday, March 9:
THE WEDDING BELLS Series Premiere (9:00-10:00 PM)

Wednesday, March 14:
TIL DEATH Time Period Premiere (9:30-10:00 PM)

Friday, March 30:
STANDOFF Time Period Premiere (8:00-9:00 PM)

Sunday, April 15:
DRIVE Series Premiere (8:00-10:00 PM)

Monday, April 16:
DRIVE Time Period Premiere (8:00-9:00 PM)

FOX SPRING SCHEDULE
(Effective Sunday, March 4; All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM PRISON BREAK/DRIVE (Premieres 4/16)
9:00-10:00 PM 24

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-9:30 PM AMERICAN IDOL
9:30-10:00 PM TIL DEATH

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM TBA
9:00-10:00 PM TBA

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM STANDOFF (Premieres 3/30)
9:00-10:00 PM THE WEDDING BELLS

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICAS MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK
11:00 PM-Midnight MADtv
Midnight-12:30 AM TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN

SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM COMEDY REPEATS
7:30-8:00 PM THE WAR AT HOME
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM THE WINNER/KING OF THE HILL (Returns 3/25)
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM THE WINNER/AMERICAN DAD (Returns 3/25)

Bonds

No, not savings bonds or Barry Bonds, but the kind of bonds you make with people in the trenches, as a writer.

Bonds. Now the word looks funny. Ahem.

Some writers find it difficult to forge relationships with other writers. A lot of writers tend toward the reclusive side. If this is you, I recommend you use the tool in front of you to break out of that.

Bonds can be formed online now, you know.

The best relationships are obviously the ones where you see and talk to the person and they are within 2 feet of you, and no, not on your computer screen. However, if you've been on message boards or chat rooms or blogs and found a kindred spirit, take advantage. Writer colleagues are good for motivation, support and assistance.

This is a love letter of sorts to my best writer friends.

I can't thank you all enough for your insightful notes, your suggestions (yes, I love notes and suggestions, I know some writers don't want someone telling them how to fix their problems, but I like solutions, even if it isn't the right one. Sometimes it leads to the right one). Hopefully I am just as helpful as you are to me.

To my L.A. writer friends, I appreciate being able to meet with you, blow off steam, laugh and cry and share our work so that we may become stronger writers. To my non-L.A. writer friends, I appreicate you too. We may not be able to meet in person all the time, if ever, but you have diverse viewpoints which are appreciated. Sometimes it helps to hear from those of you outside of the Hollywood bubble to see if my idea 'plays' to a larger audience. That is invaluable insight.

Forging bonds is important in life. While you may feel writing is a solitary occupation, I can't stress enough the importance of fellow aspirants to keep you motivated.

Go make some friends.

The new hot specs list

While not all of this season's crop of shows has had their fates decided, it's getting easier to read the tea leaves. I'm also hearing buzz about certain show specs from friends and industry contacts:

New 'hot' one-hour specs: (in order of perceived hotness)

Ugly Betty
Heroes
Dexter
Grey's Anatomy
The Closer
Criminal Minds
House
Brothers & Sisters

*This does not mean other shows cannot be specced. I'll be posting the revised hot specs list within a few weeks.

New 'hot' half-hour specs: (in order of perceived hotness)

The New Adventures of Old Christine
The Office
My Name is Earl
How I Met Your Mother
Scrubs
Two and a Half Men
Everybody Hates Chris (this has really fallen off since last year)

NBC sets Raines premiere dates

Raines, starring Jeff Goldblum will premiere in ER's time slot on March 15 and 22, and then air on Fridays at 9 beginning March 30. Earlier NBC had reduced the order for the series from 13 to 7.

Unless it pulls incredible numbers, Raines isn't long for this world.

Link: the futon critic

NBC renews The Office, Earl, Heroes and L&O: SVU for next season

NBC has announced the renewal of 'My Name is Earl', 'The Office', 'Heroes', and 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' for the 2007-08 season. This makes 'Heroes' the first freshman show to get picked up for next season.

Watch List updated.

Link: Futon Critic

Fox Spring Schedule Announced

Fox has announced some premiere dates and schedule changes coming in March and April (editorials are all mine):

• Drive - 2 hour premiere on Sunday April 15. It will then begin airing on Monday nights (starting April 16) replacing Prison Break, which will have its season finale on April 2nd. A repeat of 'House' will air in the slot on April 9.
  
• Til Death will move to Wednesdays following the 90 minute AI on March 14. This will likely prolong the life of the show...at least short term.
  
• Hell's Kitchen will return in March on Thursdays once The O.C. wraps. Remember 'The Loop'? (it was never actually cancelled last season) Looks like it could return and air the same night alongside ailing 'The War at Home'.
  
• Standoff comes back in March and is sent to the gallows of Friday night. I weep. But at least it won't die alone. David Kelley's new show 'The Wedding Bells' will air along with it on Fridays.
  
• Seth MacFarlane/Rick Blitt produced show 'The Winner' will launch on Sunday March 4 with two episodes, one after The Simpsons and one after Family Guy. American Dad, which normally airs in those slots, will return in April.

I'll update the Watch List with this info today.



Link: Futon Critic

Quick hits

• Dancing with the Stars returns on March 19, airing Mondays and Tuesdays. Yes, that means it avoids the American Idol carnage.
  
• Stargate will live on with a couple of direct-to-DVD films, 'Stargate: The Ark of Truth', and 'Stargate: Continuum'.
  
• Lost may air with no repeats next season, but to do so, it may not premiere until January 2008.
  
• Golden Globes: YAWN. Hugh Laurie will always win because he's British. Same with Helen Mirren. And Jeremy Irons. And Bill Nighy. And Sacha Baron Cohen. AND Emily Blunt. Alec Baldwin is British by default, since he vowed to leave the country after Bush was reelected. Recounts are pending for how Peter O'Toole, Toni Collete (okay, she's from Australia, close enough), Cate Blanchett, and Stephen Frears lost. I'm sure heads will roll for letting some Americans win those categories.
  
• ABC has suffered a lot of serialized show fatigue, with only a couple of small successes in that realm this year and lots of failures (Six Degrees, The Nine, Daybreak). They are focusing on procedurals this year. Of course, ABCs recent track record with procedurals has been dismal (In Justice, The Evidence, Dragnet).
  
• So, uh, 24. Yeah. In their world I'd be dead several times over. I know the show is set in L.A. but do we always have to be hit with big horrible weapons? At least they spread it around the country a little bit this season...

Not a lot of TV news to report. I scoff at the Globes handing the best tv show award to Grey's, but you know my bias there anyway...

Link:the futon critic

TV Show return dates

Want to know when your favorite show starts showing new episodes again? Check below. Organized by date. (Reality, news programs, and specials excluded...unless noted). UPDATED on 1/16, fixed some premiere dates

1/16

American Idol Sixth season premiere
NCIS
The Unit

1/17

One Tree Hill

1/18

CSI
Shark

1/19

Monk Fifth season (winter) premiere
Psych First season (winter) premiere

1/21

The Dresden Files Series premiere
Battlestar Galactica Third season (winter) premiere

1/22

Everybody Hates Chris
Prison Break
Heroes (up against 24, program your DVRs accordingly)
What About Brian
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

1/23

FYI: STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
Gilmore Girls
Veronica Mars

1/24

The George Lopez Show Sixth season premiere

1/28

King of the Hill Tenth season premiere

1/31

Top Design Series premiere on BRAVO

2/5

Rules of Engagement Series premiere on CBS

2/7

LOST ** time period change! 10:00 PM Eastern/Pacific

2/14

Jericho

How to keep your favorite show from being cancelled

I suppose the short and sweet answer is to WATCH THEM.

*sigh*

I suppose you want more than that. Fine. Become a Nielsen family. THEN WATCH THEM IN REAL TIME.

Still no good? Have any friends who are Nielsen metered homes? Go over to their place, make them watch your show in real time. Repeat this about 1,000 times.

Networks care about their ratings. Ratings dictate how much they can charge for ads. If a show gets terrible ratings, in most cases it equals not getting enough people to pay ad rates for that show. The network then tries to salvage what they can by putting something else on the air which companies will buy ads during.

But wait, what about me? The viewer! Don't I get a say?

Not really.

If you pay for a channel, like HBO, you have a say. They cancel your show, you cancel your HBO. Pretty easy. Network and basic cable are a different ballgame.

It's all about the ad dollars.

Look, I've been where you are, I'm there now. You fall in love with a show. It's funny, dramatic, interesting, quirky, different...all the things you want in a TV show. But it only pulls a 3 share (a share point represents about 1.2 million households). Even with close to 7 million people watching, it just isn't enough. Advertisers can get more eyeballs on the competing show. Your favorite show loses advertisers. If it loses ad dollars, it loses the game.

So, the best solution is to know how to cope with a show you love not going the distance. Some people form cult like support groups (Firefly fans come to mind). Others just find something else to watch. Some form letter writing campaigns.

Campaigns targeted at a network are pointless. Target the advertisers. Tell them how much you love their commercials and products and are happy they support your favorite show on TV. Tell them you will happily buy more of their products if they keep supporting your show. I have no idea if this works, but believe me, it's more on target than bitching at ABC for cancelling Daybreak. If the advertisers left and it didn't get good reviews- the only saving grace for some shows is award cred. Win some awards, and a network will save a low rated show because awards are like free advertising that your show is good. More people may start watching it. More people equals higher ratings equals more $$ for advertising.

You getting the drift?

Welcome!

A quick hello to those of you who found me from the 'Boogie Board'. I have no idea what is posted over there that lead you here, but welcome. Please, feel free to poke around. In the Taylor universe I am TeelaJBrown.